Plinth and/or framing elements for partitions and partitions applying such elements

ABSTRACT

Plinth and/or framing element comprising a U-shaped section the width of which is lower than, but substantially equal to the thickness of the partition, the outer face of the median wall of said U-shaped section having two L-shaped ribs.

United States Patent Grisard et al.

[451 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] PLlNTl-l AND/OR FRAMING ELEMENTS FOR PARTITIONS AND PARTITIONS APPLYING SUCH ELEMENTS Inventors: Jean Grisard; Marcel A. Grisard,

both of Waterloo, Belgium Assignee: Incormac S.A., Zoug, Switzerland Filed: July 3, 1969 Appl. No.: 838,971

US. Cl ..52/242, 52/732 Field of Search..... ...52/238, 241, 242, 398, 399, 52/400, 498-502, 235, 120, 737-739 int. Cl ..E04b 2/62, E04b 2/74 3 Mil? [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,465,996 9/1969 Von Wedel ..52/23s 3,492,770 2/1970 Fumer ..s2/732 3,509,673 5/1970 Witkosky .52/242 Primary Examiner-John E. Muitagh v Attorney-Richards & Geier 71 Answer Plinth and/or framing'element comprising a U-shaped section the width of which is lower than, but substantially equal to the thickness of the partition, the outer face of the median wall of said U-shaped section having two L-shaped ribs.

4 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmza m2 SHEET 1 BF 3 [III/1,114,111,111 mfy INVENTORS JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD (Ivan-N67:

PA'TE'NiEmuszz ma 3.685227 sum a nr 3 JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD BY 73M '6 nuall PNENTED M1 2 W2 sum 3 or 3 {NVENTORS' JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD PLINTH AND/OR FRAMING ELEMENTS FOR PARTITIONS AND PARTITIONS APPLYING SUCH ELEMENTS This invention relates particularly to the important problem of the rational execution of framing elements for partitions and similar walls, said framing elements being generally provided by plinths and framing strips, but without any detrimental effect on the construction of any other part of such framings.

This problem is mainly critical due to the irregularities of the partitions, the grounds, the ceilings, the false ceilings, the walls and the like between which the partitions must be adjusted. Thus, it is important to provide means and elements allowing a relatively large tolerance without any detrimental effect upon the stability, the resistance and also and principally the esthetic appearance of the partition.

It is also important to provide means and elements which may be produced in a large amount by economical industrial processes and materials, e.g., by extrusion.

To solve correctly this problem, it is also necessary that said elements should permit the execution of any partition either opaque and without jack, with jack and maximum glazing, with jack and opaque walls, with maximum glazing and jack and the like. In other words, it is important to provide of means and elements having a universal character, i.e., they must be rationally applicable in any embodiment substantially with the same technical effects and advantages.

Finally, it is also necessary that these means and elements may be used not only for the production of plinths and framing strips, but it is also important that they could be effectively applied for making joinings with adjoining walls and partitions.

An object of the present invention is the provision of elements and means meeting advantageously all the above requirements.

One object of the invention is the provision of a plinth and/or framing element particularly conditioned for this purpose.

Another object of the invention consists in providing cooperation of such plinth and/or framing element with the constituting adjoining elements of the lower or upper portions of the partition.

Finally, still another object of the invention relates to the partitions themselves whatever they are, but using the said plinth and/or framing elements.

According to the invention this plinth and/or framing element is characterized in that it comprises substantially a U-shaped section the width of which is lower than, but substantially equal to the thickness of the partition, the outer face of the median wall of said U- shaped section having two L-shaped ribs, thereby defining two preferably projecting grooves directed outwardly and adjoining to said median wall.

This plinth and/or framing element may be provided in varying shapes and may comprise complementary FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a length of a plinth and/or framing element according to the invention in a more complex embodiment; I

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show vertical sections of the upper and lower portions respectively of different partitions using the plinth and/or framing elements according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of a joining between a wall and a partition.

As shown as diagrammatically as possible in FIG. 1 without any limitation as regards the exact shape or dimensions, a characteristic element according-to the invention consists substantially in the combination of a profiled section 1 the cross-section of which is U- shaped; the back or outer face of the median wall 2 has two substantially L-shaped ribs 3, 4 defining two deep grooves 5, 6 respectively the inlet of which, in the direction of the arrows F5 and F6, is perpendicular to the direction F1 of the inlet of the body 1. The relative position of the L-shaped ribs 3,4 may be varied. In addition, the intermediate wall 2' may, if desired, extend beyond the lateral sides 7, 8 respectively of the body 1.

The more complete embodiment of FIG. 2 shows again all the characteristic parts of the diagrammatic embodiment of FIG. 1, the same references relating to equivalent elements. Complementarily to the said diagrammatic embodiment, the median wall 2 has two more mutually opposite L-shaped ribs 9, 10 upon the front or inner face. In addition, on their inner faces, the side walls 7, 8 have, at the level of their longitudinal bordering edges, an L-shaped rib 11, 12 respectively, thereby defining two deep grooves the inlet of which, in the direction of arrows F11 and F12, is parallel to the inlet in the'direction of arrow F1 of the body 1 of the element.

In this embodiment, the longitudinal free edges of grooves 5, 6, 11, 12 are bevelled inwardly and bevelled edges of the ribs 3, 4, ll, 12 are extended by a small intemal rib'13, 14, 15, 16 respectively having a generally triangular section forming gripping elements.

Of course, it will be possible to complete the characteristic elements of the invention by any other auxiliary arrangements in accordance with the applications being made or the type of partitions with opaque or transparent elements to which said elements are applied as bordering elements.

By way of example, FIG. 3 shows the application of elements according to FIG. 2 for the provision of bordering elements for opaque partitions without jack. In this embodiment, the partition proper 17 is suspended to theceiling or the false ceiling. The plinth elements 18, 19 and the framing elements 20, 21 are'made of generally L-shaped sections a beveled flange of which is introduced into the grooves 13, 14 respectivelyof the bordering elements, whereas the gripping and fastening elements of the partition generally represented by 22, 23 are bearing through their suitably profiled elements in the grooves defined respectively by ribs 9, 10.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a partition having a large glazed surface indicated at 24, said glazed surface overtopping an opaque surface represented generally described by way of example in the Belgian Patent No. 592,242 in the names of Jean Joseph Arthur Grisard and Marcel Jean Arthur Grisard.

The glazed portion 24 is completed by inner hiding members 28 having a generally U-shaped section and the two side legs 29, 30 of which are bordered by beveled thickened parts 31, 32 respectively engaging grooves ll, 12 of the characteristic elements according to the invention. The plinth elements 18, 19 and the framing elements 20, 21 are fastened as described in the previous example.

FIG. shows an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 3, but introducing the use of jacks 33. The constituting elements of the plinths and the framing strips are similar to those described in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the same reference numbers relating to the same or equivalent elements.

FIG. 6 shows a combination of the elements of FIGS. 4 and 5, since it pertains to the formation of a wall comprising a transparent portion and an opaque portion, said wall using jacks indicated at 30. In this Figure also, the same reference numbers relate to the same or equivalent elements relative to the embodiment of the previous Figures.

In these embodiments, it will be observed that the projecting portion 34 of grooves 5, 6 functions as a support for the overlying wall element.

Finally, FIG. 7 shows the application of a characteristic element according to FIG. 2 for making a joint between a partition with a maximum glazing and a wall shown diagrammatically at 35.

In fact, the outer ribs 3, 4 of the characteristic section according to the invention are correctly applied against the wall 35 and the elements 36 similar to the above described plinth and framing elements may be here used as finishing elements between the wall and the partition.

Of course, the applications could be multiplied in accordance with the distribution of the transparent and opaque surfaces as well as in accordance with the shape and the sizes and the relative position of the constituting elements or portions of the partitions.

The invention covers all its applications provided that use is made of one or a plurality of characteristic elements such as previously described.

What we claim is:

1. In a partition, a longitudinal beam having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and comprising a transverse wall, two outer side walls and two inner side walls, each of said inner side walls being located close to a separate outer side wall, the distances of the inner side walls from their adjacent outer side walls being the same, each of said inner side walls being substantially L-shaped in cross-section and having a limb extending parallel to the adjacent side wall and a limb extending parallel to said transverse wall and away from the adjacent outer side wall, ribs carried by said transverse wall and forming two parallel channels and ribs carried by said outer side walls and forming two parallel channels, each of said channels having a substantially U- shaped cross-section, the two first-mentioned channels extending along opposed lateral edges of said transverse wall, the two second-mentioned channels extending along lateral edges of said outer side walls, said channels havin openin s directed towards the outside of said beam, 11 5 came by said outer side walls being located between the outer side walls, and ribs carried by said transverse wall being located on the side of said transverse wall opposed to the outer side walls.

2. A longitudinal beam in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ribs have chamfered edges to increase the width of the channel openings.

3. In combination with the longitudinal beam of claim 1, a partition wall, a bracket connected to said wall and extending into the space between said two inner side walls, and two L-shaped framing elements, each of said L-shaped framing elements having a limb extending into a separate one of the first-mentioned channels and another limb extending parallel to said wall and, engaging a lateral surface thereof.

4. In combination with the longitudinal beam of claim 1, two L-shaped framing elements, each of said L-shaped framing elements having a limb extending into a separate one of the first-mentioned channels and another limb, a U-shaped member having side legs engaging the second-mentioned channels, and a glazed wall extending between the other limbs of said framing elements and said side walls. 

1. In a partition, a longitudinal beam having a substantially Ushaped cross-section and comprising a transverse wall, two outer side walls and two inner side walls, each of said inner side walls being located close to a separate outer side wall, the distances of the inner side walls from their adjacent outer side walls being the same, each of said inner side walls being substantially L-shaped in cross-section and having a limb extending parallel to the adjacent outer side wall and a limb extending parallel to said transverse wall and away from the adjacent outer side wall, ribs carried by said transverse wall and forming two parallel channels and ribs carried by said outer side walls and forming two parallel channels, each of said channels having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the two first-mentioned channels extending along opposed lateral edges of said transverse wall, the two second-mentioned channels extending along lateral edges of said outer side walls, said channels having openings directed towards the outside of said beam, ribs carried by said outer side walls being located between the outer side walls, and ribs carried by said transverse wall being located on the side of said transverse wall opposed to the outer side walls.
 2. A longitudinal beam in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ribs have chamfered edges to increase the width of the channel openings.
 3. In combination with the longitudinal beam of claim 1, a partition wall, a bracket connected to said wall and extending into the space between said two inner side walls, and two L-shaped framing elements, each of said L-shaped framing elements having a limb extending into a separate one of the first-mentioned channels and another limb extending parallel to said wall and engaging a lateral surface thereof.
 4. In combination with the longitudinal beam of claim 1, two L-shaped framing elements, each of said L-shaped framing elements having a limb extending into a separate one of the first-mentioned channels and another limb, a U-shaped member having side legs engaging the second-mentioned channels, and a glazed wall extending between the other limbs of said framing elements and said side walls. 